


Countdown

by actingup



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Dolphin trainers, Fluff, M/M, SeaWorld, Soul Mate Countdown, soul mates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-08
Updated: 2014-01-08
Packaged: 2018-01-08 01:28:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,096
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1126795
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/actingup/pseuds/actingup
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>0000d 00h 00m 37s</p>
<p>He always imagined meeting his soul mate would take forever; that time would slow down and he would see them walking towards him, he would know without a doubt who it was. It might have been someone he’s seen before but never talked to, or it might be a complete stranger that he never would have guessed. He didn’t imagine it in front of about a hundred people, maybe two-hundred, at a Dolphin show.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Countdown

**7758d 08h 57m 26s** or **21 years and 93 days**

For the longest time Stiles has been looking at a dark forest green strip that has years left on it. It’s this tiny little clock that’s attached to his skinny wrist right next to that one mole that kind of looks like a face if you squint hard enough. It’s been there since birth just like everyone else’s in the world and he ignores it almost as much as everyone else does too. See, when everyone in the world has one, it isn’t that big of a deal when the clock runs out. It’s usually very simple, when the clock reaches zero, you meet your soul mate. Everyone’s family and friends may get ridiculously excited and congratulate you when you meet them because they want you to be happy. But it isn’t rare; it doesn’t make the news unless maybe you’re already famous. People try not to make it a big deal, they still date even if they realize that the person they’re with won’t always be theirs. They still sleep around, they still cheat, and some don’t even want to meet their soul mate. Some soul mates relationships necessarily don’t get a happy ending, but that doesn’t mean that each person is doomed for life.

                For example, his Dad’s clock. It hit zero when was a deputy and had to pull over a beautiful young lady for speeding, a woman who later became Stiles’ mom. But Claudia Stilinski was diagnosed with cancer a little too late and passed away a year later. So it’s not like soul mates only die together, and the still living half is definitely affected. But that doesn’t mean they can’t move past it. Stiles had seen the clock on the Sheriff’s wrist go dark when his mother had passed away, but he also saw the Sheriff start dating Ms. McCall Stiles’ freshman year of college. They even had dating websites made especially for people who had lost their loved ones. While it wasn’t common to lose your other half early, normally you both lived to raise a family and grow old, it still wasn’t unheard of.

**3743d 16h 03m 59s**

That means, not all soul mates have the same story. Most people meet their soul mate at a very young age, but some don’t meet them until they’re in their 60’s, some aren’t ready for a relationship and are only friends even though they met early; it’s different for everyone. Like, Lydia who met Jackson in middle school. Now Stiles knew she wasn’t his soul mate, no matter how much he wanted her to be, because he had caught a glimpse of her wrist one day when they were both up at the chalkboard in math on the second day of school. (Stiles would have just asked her, but you don’t normally ask to see someone’s wrist, it’s a little taboo unless you’re really good friends or you’re actually meeting your soul mate.) Stiles had been trying to sneak glances at her wrist because he had been so sure she was his soul mate. She wasn’t. The day he checked her wrist she had 2 days, 3 hours, 2 minutes, 47 seconds left; Stiles was crushed. Two days later he saw her walk straight up to the new kid, Jackson, and demand to see his wrist. Stiles didn’t watch anymore because he knew they were meant to be. He had seen Jackson looking around frantically right before she walked up to him, he didn’t need to see the clock light up for proof. For years they were off and on for different, stupid reasons. It  was something that happened a lot to couples who met early; they needed to experience life before they settled down. But eventually, like most soul mates, they became permanently “on”. And while it had crushed Stiles at the time, he eventually got over it. He actually became really good friends with Lydia after he had stopped obsessing over her and their mutual friends had gotten together.

**2658d 21h 33m 21s**

Isaac had been really quiet and shy growing up. He, like Stiles and Stiles’ best friend/brother/partner in crime Scott, was kind of a social outcast. Scott met Isaac their freshman year of high school when some senior had “accidently” spilled milk all over Isaac’s clothes. Scott, always playing the hero, had taken Isaac to his locker to give him some spare clothes. From that day on, Isaac had looked up to Scott, and Scott had made Isaac sit with him and Stiles at lunch until all three became friends. But it wasn’t until their sophomore year that Isaac met his soul mate. Scott had convinced Isaac and Stiles to join the lacrosse team with him (an idea that Stiles was exceedingly against, but Stiles couldn’t, and still can’t, resist Scott’s puppy dog eyes) to gain popularity and get girls or something like that. Stiles really only joined for moral support. After all, he had no chance with Lydia.

No one had been expecting it. Isaac hadn’t said anything about his clock, and no one had really asked. But it was the second day of practice (somehow they had all made the team. Stiles still has no idea how) when Isaac ran into his special somebody who was going for the same cup of water as him.

“Oh sorry, you can have it.” Isaac froze, staring at his wrist that had started glowing. Stiles had been sitting on the bench tying his shoe when he saw Isaac slowly turn around and look straight into the eyes of Danny Mahealani. Danny’s eyes went big and he quickly looked at his own, lit-up clock and back at Isaac. The rest of the team had started staring, not really caring if it was rude. Danny had been the first to unfreeze and he had given Isaac his number before he went back to practice. Jackson had given Danny a high five and Isaac had slowly turned to Stiles, eyes wide, and started beaming. Scott ran up and gave Isaac a huge hug and Stiles had started laughing at Isaacs’s bewildered look. It was cute, not that Stiles would ever admit that.

“I didn’t even know I liked guys.” Was the only thing Isaac said, and he spent the rest of practice memorizing the number of his soul mate.

Now it wasn’t like Danny and Isaac hadn’t seen each other before, or hadn’t heard each other talk before. A lot of soul mates may have known of each other for a while without realizing the other person was their other half, but the countdown only stops when they actually talk to each other, face to face. (And yes, talking can mean sign language.)

 Once Danny and Isaac figured out they were soul mates, they brought their respective friend groups into the mix. It was a slow and rather rough process at first. Jackson thought he was above everyone and it took him a while to accept that Danny’s other half was not exactly popular and his friends were even worse. But no one can resist Danny, especially Jackson. Lydia took a while to melt, too.  She would be seen with them, sure, but it took a while for her to truly talk to them, especially Stiles. Actually, she didn’t talk to him at all until Stiles found her throwing her textbook on the ground while she sat, frustrated, at a bench outside of the school. He picked it up for her and started to help her with her homework. She didn’t want his help at first, she really didn’t want him there at all, but eventually she accepted it. He got her talking and found out that she really wasn’t upset with the school work, (although she did like having someone to study with that actually understood the level of math she was doing) but she was frustrated with her parents. They ended up talking for hours after school while she waited for Jackson to get done with lacrosse practice and he skipped it. The next day he quit lacrosse and they started a study routine at the closest coffee shop.

Eventually Stiles got over the fact that he would be the last in the group to meet his soul mate. He accepted that, really. Well, for the most part, sometimes it bothered him, but it was fine. He thought about getting into a relationship sometimes, people did it all the time. Hardly anyone waited for their other half anymore. But the closest he got to being in a relationship with someone other than his soul mate was when Scott’s clock hit zero.

**1553d 07h 54m 17s**

It was their senior year and things had been going pretty well. Even though everyone else in his friend group was in a relationship, he still had Scott. Well… he had Scott until Allison came to the school. Scott was sure she was it for him, but they had never talked. His clock was only days away until zero and it was all he could talk about. Stiles tried to be as supportive as possible even though he knew that those would be the last couple days that it was just them two, no soul mates, no zeros, just bros. But that Friday night, they all went ice skating and Scott’s clock hit zero when Allison showed up with Lydia and said “hi”. From that night on, it was all triple dates for the group and lonely nights for Stiles. He was just lonely, really lonely. He knew that he only had to wait until he was twenty one and about three months old, but he hated spending his senior year in his room with his own hands and not anybody else’s.

That was also around the time Stiles lost his virginity to a friend named Heather who wanted to lose hers too. It was a no-strings-attached, mutually beneficial set up, and he hated himself for it afterwards. He felt awful knowing that his soul mate wasn’t going to be his first. Although, he also rationalized that his future partner-for-life might have already lost hers or his too. And yes, this was also around the time Stiles realized that he could swing both ways. But after the newness of ScottandAllison died down, the group drifted back together and by the end of the year they all had plans to meet up on weekends even though they went to different colleges. In the end, Lydia and Stiles wound up going to Stanford together, while Scott, Allison, Jackson, Danny and Isaac went to other colleges in California.

**1180d 03h 32m 15s**

Stiles’ freshman year was spent in the dorms studying for his major in Communications so he could work with the media. It was a job that allowed him to research and talk to people, his two favorite things.  His freshman year was also when he had his first real experience with a man. (He likes to think he attracted the guy with his personality. Lydia thinks it’s his obscene mouth and what little geeky charm he has.)They had both been drunk at the time and they had a sloppy make out and blowjob session outside of the bar Lydia had dragged him to. It definitely wasn’t perfect, and not really what Stiles wanted, but he figured he only had three years until he met the love of his life, so why not?

**0823d 17h 39m 46s**

His sophomore year he moved in with Lydia to the apartment her parents had gotten her. She didn’t like being by herself and she wanted to live with someone she knew, Stiles was the obvious choice.  He also got his first job as a bartender and had gotten a lot of dates out of that, (or his newfound long hair) but no relationships ever longer than a week or two.

**0458d 06h 53m 02s**

His junior year he had a small internship with the local news station, promoting their channel. He was also was minoring in marine biology and looking for a job that could combine both. He and Lydia constantly met up with their friends and went to parties around campus, but Stiles was done looking for anyone to be with. He accepted that he would have to wait until after his senior year to meet the lucky bastard that was stuck with him. This was also the year that Lydia asked to see Stiles wrist and saw that he really didn’t have _that_ long before he met his soul mate. Of course, she got overly excited and texted the rest of the group. They were close enough that it was certainly okay if they all new, but Stiles didn’t really want them to make it a big deal. Sure, he was excited and insanely curious about whom it was going to be, but he didn’t want to make it a big deal to all of his friends. What if he something happened before they met or they didn’t like each other when they did meet? What if his soul mate refused him? It was rare but not impossible. He didn’t want his friends to feel bad for him. So while all of his friends tried to talk about it with him, he waved them off and played it cool.

**0093d 12h 07m 25s**

His senior year, he turned twenty-one. He could legally drink at bars, he was going to graduate, and he was going to meet his soul mate that year. On top of all that, he found an internship with SeaWorld in to promote the shows and work with the media. It was basically his dream job of media and marine biology. He would start that summer after he graduated and he was so excited he thought he might explode. His Dad also expressed how proud he was of him already getting a great job; he expressed this by telling everyone and anyone who would listen while saying his eyes were watering from allergies.

**0027d 04h 56m 43s**

He graduated. Lydia and Jackson moved in together so Stiles moved into a somewhat tiny apartment that was close to Scott and Allison, across the street from Best Buy, and a block away from a homey coffee shop and a killer bar. His Dad wasn’t too happy about him living alone, but this was an important milestone for Stiles. He could finally walk around naked, masturbate openly, go to the bathroom with the door open, _and_ leave the toilet seat up.  

**0014 05h 29m 14s**

All of those milestones brought him to today. And today, Stiles was trying to act like he knew what he was doing, but in reality he was utterly fucking lost. He figured if he pretended like he knew where he was going, no one would question him and he would find his way to the lunch room eventually. So far he loved his job, even though it was just day one, but his tour with the huge and rather chill Boyd had been cut short because he got called to “bring Derek some fish for the Dolphins please? Also, you should come visit me on your break because I’m not wearing any underwear.” Boyd, who Stiles would never have guessed was possible before, looked insanely flustered as he turned the phone off of speaker and told “Erica” that he would be there in a second. He apologized to Stiles who laughed and told him he would just go grab some lunch then get to work. Being Stiles though, he definitely didn’t think to ask where the lunch room was. So here he was, wondered the building trying to look official, and internally freaking out. Maybe he should take the hallway to the right? Yeah, that looked like a good idea.

“Hey kid, you new?” Her voice was husky and a little bit sexy. Stiles whipped around to see a stunning brunette (or was her hair black?) smirking at him with pink lips and blue eyes. She had jeans that looked painted on, a black tank top under a dark red leather jacket, stunning stilettos, and her hair was up in a ponytail. She might have been the most intimidating person Stiles had seen and, of course, she was just Stiles type. He, for some inexplicable reason, loved intimidating, too hot people.

“Uh, yeah. Yeah, I’m new. Really new. I was just on my tour with Boyd. You know, tall, dark, and silent. He got a call from some Erica, who I’m pretty sure was a booty call, to get fish for a Derek? Sorry, over information. Anyway, was it that obvious? That I’m new, I mean.” He smiled nervously and didn’t even try to play it off as cool. The girl- no, the woman’s, smirk got bigger.

“Yeah, a little. But it’s fine. Where are you going?”

“Well I’ve been _trying_ to go to the lunch room but…” He trailed off and waved around with both hands, trying to express that he was next to the penguins, not the food. “Penguins are friends, not food.”

She laughed loudly, “You’re in luck. That’s exactly where I’m going. Want to have lunch?” She looped her arm through his and started walking down the hallway to the left, (not the right, damn) not leaving him anytime to answer her question before she was asking him about his job, where he went to college, where he was from, did he like it here so far, etc. He answered all of her rapid fire questions as well as he could while she dragged him into the lunch room (on the opposite side of the building he was at) and they grabbed lunch and a table. He was trying not to think of this conversation as an interview. Eventually she introduced herself as Laura Hale and explained that she was one of the main Dolphin trainers and the host of the shows. She also invited him to go get drinks with her, Erica, and Boyd. He laughed at how uncaring she was of being too forward and accepted her invite.

“I’m sorry,” she said at the end of their lunch, “I’ve probably just talked your ear off”

He laughed and waved her away, “No trust me, you kept me from babbling too much and saying stupid things because I have no filter. Like, at all. So really, I should thank you for talking too much! Besides, I have a feeling you aren’t really that sorry.”

“Stiles,” She said seriously, “this is going to be the start of a beautiful friendship.”

**0009d 16h 44m 11s**

And it was a beautiful friendship. That Saturday Stiles had been lounging in pajama pants and an oversized sweatshirt watching a movie when Laura texted him the address to a bar. Stiles reluctantly changed into real clothes, and soon got excited realizing that he was going to meet the infamous Erica. He had gathered that Boyd and Erica were soul mates because both of their watches were glowing and Laura told him that they almost always were having sex or being inappropriate in some way.  So Stiles somewhat knew what to expect…

But meeting Erica was an experience in itself. He walked into the dimly lit bar to see Laura take a shot and Boyd sipping on a beer. He spotted Erica right away because she was wearing leather pants and heels big enough to stab someone with. Her lipstick screamed man-eater and when she spotted him she grinned like Stiles was her next meal. Stiles breathed deeply and introduced himself to her after giving Laura a hug. Erica smirked and immediately ordered him a shot.

She, just like Laura, interviewed him straightaway. Boyd rolled his eyes and patted Stiles on the shoulder when asked if he was a virgin. Stiles didn’t mind though, he answered all of her questions and even danced with her. He figured if he just went along with what she wanted, it would be better. By the end of the night she convinced him to do body shots and told him he was her new best friend.

**0007d 8h 03m 02s**

Stiles goes to work a week after his first day and a week before he meets his soul mate. He actually knows the layout of the place now and has the task of working on the Aquarium’s website. He gets to promote the new dolphin and starts a vote for what her name should be. He has a lunch date with Erica and has plans to visit Laura while she works with the Dolphins after. Basically, life is really good for him.

But when he heads down to the pools, he’s not exactly prepared for what he sees.

At first, all he sees is a group of trainers he doesn’t really know. Then he sees _him_ and it’s almost slow motion how this guy gets out of the pool. He’s in a wetsuit that doesn’t hide anything, and Stiles can see his rather large muscles quite clearly as he hoists himself up and out of the pool, water running down his face. And while Stiles lives in a porno in his head, it doesn’t actually happen in reality.

The man doesn’t notice him at first, instead he stands up and grabs a towel sitting to the side and uses it to wipe off his face. Stiles is standing there feeling awkward and geeky with his batman shirt while he stares like a creep. He knows he should stop ogling this guy’s chest (at least it’s not his dick. No, no, no don’t look, no!) he knows he should say something, like hi or whatever normal people say, but he’s twenty-one years old and still doesn’t know how to talk to beautiful people. Laura was a fluke; Laura talks more than Stiles and doesn’t give him a chance to be nervous around her. Speaking of Laura, where was she?

The man’s hazel eyes flick up all of the sudden and meet Stiles’ bright brown ones and wow, he probably looks like a deer right now his eyes are so wide. Stiles opens his mouth because he’s about ask the guy if he wants to go maybe find a bed around here when Laura walks in.

“Hey Derek you can go change, I’ve got it from here.” His eyes are on her and he nods his head before he walks out the door to the changing room. Stiles is kind of tempted to follow him.

“You’re lucky you came to visit me. I would have had Derek drag you down here otherwise.” Derek dragging him with those giant muscles? Sign him up.

“I’ve never met him before. I would definitely have remembered him.” Stiles inwardly cringes, did he really just say that?

“Oh, yeah? Well he’s kind of quiet. He’s my brother and I think that since I talk so much he makes up for it by not talking at all.” Of fucking course he’s her brother. That explains why he’s so intimidatingly beautiful. Now that she mentions it, Stiles could totally see it. They look almost identical. “Anyway, come here and watch me be awesome.” Stiles laughs awkwardly and walks over to the edge of the pool. Derek must not have worked as a trainer; if he did he would be working with Laura now, right? Anyway, he shouldn’t worry about this Derek, he’s got a week until he meets his soul mate, and he can’t start thinking about other guys.

**0005d 18h 04m 15s**

The second time, Derek sees him first. When Stiles slides right into him.

He doesn’t have a chance to say anything before Erica pulls him away for something he can’t even remember… but he does remembers Derek’s surprised eyes all day.

**0003d 01h 56m 33s**

“Just spit it out Stilinski.”

“Lydia. I’m freaking out. I didn’t think that I would freak out this much. I have three days. That’s it. _Three days_. What if I don’t like them? Or what if they don’t like me? What if they don’t like all of our friends?!  What if they don’t like Batman? What if my Dad doesn’t like them, or they’ve gotten arrested by him before? Do you know how awkward that would be? I bring home this person that I’m probably going to spend the rest of my life with, the person that will best fit me on this planet, and my Dad remembers arresting him for streaking or something. For all I know, my soul mate could be a murderer! Sure they might be the most compatible with me but that doesn’t mean that they can’t also be a serial killer. He could be-“

“ _Stiles._ ” Lydia cuts him off and, thank god for that, he’s pretty sure that he would have had a panic attack if he kept talking. He takes a deep breath and smells the fresh cookies and coffee from behind the counter at the coffee shop he’s at. Him and Lydia are sitting by the window of the store and he’s panicking because, oh god, three days is all that’s left.

“You’re being ridiculous. Do you even know what a soul mate is? A soul mate is someone who balances you out, who compliments you. And yes, some soul mates end badly because people are idiots but Stiles. You’re one of the smartest people I know, almost as smart as me, almost. You’re not going to be with some dumbass who can’t appreciate your friends and family. You love us and you would only ever be with someone who will love us too. So don’t worry about it, be excited! You won’t be the only single one!” He’s pretty sure this is the nicest Lydia has ever been to him. He gives her a weak smile and drinks his coffee, trying to look confident.

“I’m surprised you are this nervous about it. You never seemed to care too much about it before.” Lydia looks at him curiously. He just shrugs and reaches for his coffee again.

“Sorry Lyds. I’m just over thinking it.” She stares at him before she seems to soften.

“Look, I’m going to tell you something that I’ve never told anyone, not even Jackson. But the day I met him. I was so nervous I slept three hours that night and spent about three hours making sure I looked okay. I couldn’t eat anything because I was afraid I would throw it up. I wasn’t focusing in class and I couldn’t sit still no matter what I did. And when I finally walked up to Jackson? I thought my legs would give out or I’d pass out or something. My voice was really shaky when I talked to him, but honestly? His was even worse. So don’t worry, everyone over thinks it.” He’s pretty sure his mouth is wide open right now and he would ask her more about it except that she looks super uncomfortable and he won’t push her. Instead, he reaches for his phone and checks the time.

“I have to get back to work soon… but thank you. You know, for talking to me.” _And telling me that, and trusting me enough to open up._ She gives him a light smile and follows him out the door of the shop. Once the door closes behind him she turns to him.

“So you probably don’t want to hear this when you’re going to talk to your soul mate in three days, but dark and brooding ordering his drink couldn’t stop staring at you.” Stiles whips around and looks through the window of the shop. At the front of the line is Derek. Derek Hale. Laura’s brother. Not at all the guy he’s been fantasizing about.

“He works with the Dolphins at SeaWorld. That’s Laura’s brother, he probably just recognized me from the other day.” Stiles shrugs and looks away, missing Lydia’s skeptical look.

“Whatever. I’ll see you tomorrow, yeah?”

“Sure thing.”

**0001d 16h 52m 34s**

                “Hey kid!” Stiles turned around to see Laura running after him in the hallway. He was about to head home, but he turns around to talk to her.

                “Dude, what’s up?” He wants to go home to watch Netflix and eat ice cream to help him stop freaking out about tomorrow.

                “So we have a show tomorrow and here’s your ticket and, like, twenty extra in case you want to bring anyone.” Laura gives him a white ticket and smiles brightly at him, like she already knows he’s going to go.

                “Yeah, okay sure. Thanks Laura.” He takes them, smiles, and turns to leave.

                “You… okay?” She sounds confused and a little worried.

                “Totally!” He answers a little too fast. He sees Derek round the corner on his way to talk to Laura. He’s carrying a box of food for the Dolphins and Stiles realizes that he must be in charge of feeding them.

 Derek is basically the last person he wants to see, he thinks about him enough and feels awful about. He shouldn’t start crushing, no not crushing, being attracted to someone when he’s so close to meeting his soul mate. “Just tired. I’ll see you tomorrow!” He practically runs out of there and misses Derek’s look of concern, Laura doesn’t.

**0000d 03h 23m 27s**

                “Stiles stop struggling.” Allison is shoving Stiles into a tight pair of jeans as per Lydia’s request and Stiles is attempting to resist.  

                “Shouldn’t this person see me as I usually am? They’re gonna have to see me all the time after. Might as well get used to all this.” He gestures at his body.

                “Don’t make this harder than it has to be.” Danny says while he goes through Stiles’ shirts.

                “This is stupid and unnecessary and you all know it. We’re going to get wet anyway. What does it matter? Besides… I want them to like me for me.” It sounds like a good argument to him and Allison is looking a little sympathetic so he thinks it might have done something.

                “Hey Danny where did you put that hair gel at?”

Or maybe all of his friends are cold, heartless bitches.  It’s a toss-up at this point.

**0000d 00h 12m 16s**

Holy shit holy shit holy shit holy shit holy shit holy shit holy-

                “I can’t believe I’m here right now.”

Holy shit holy shit holy shit holy shit holy shit-

                “Stop complaining. Just enjoy the show.”

Holy shit holy shit holy shit holy shit-

                “I’m so excited! I’ve never been to a Dolphin show!”

Holy shit holy shit holy shit-

                “I can’t believe you got us all tickets.”

Holy shit holt shit-

                “Stiles… You good dude?” Scott hits Stiles’ bouncing knee with his own and looks at him with big, worried eyes.

                “Yeah, fine man.” That apparently appeases Scott because he goes back to talking to Allison about how cool this all ways. Lydia rolls her eyes at him.

                “Stop worrying, be excited. This is fun! Look around, is anyone else nervous? Maybe we can pick your beloved out! I bet it’s… no. hmm.”

                “Lydia, I don’t think-“

                “Hey Batman, we need audience members and we all agreed that you look like a willing participant. Come on.” Erica is smirking, this is the only time Stiles has seen her without almost any makeup. She’s wearing a wetsuit and, yes, still looks stunning. She’s holding her hand out for him, and Stiles knows that they’ve had this planned, just to fuck with him.

                “Erica I really don’t want-“

                “Yeah right, let’s go.” She grabs his hand and hauls him up with her. She waves her fingers at Stiles’ friends, who wave right back, and drags Stiles down the stairs. He argues the entire time with her to let him go, but she isn’t taking no for an answer.  

**0000d 00h 08m 57s**

                “Now that we’ve introduced you to the Dolphins, I think it’s time to introduce you to the trainers! I’m Laura and I’ll be your host today! On my right we have-“ Stiles zones out. Instead of listening, he looks around the crowd, looking for anyone who seems as nervous as he is. No one stands out. “-and our first audience participant Stiles, who we will get to in a bit! If you could have a seat on that bench right there Stiles?” The crowd is cheering and Stiles does a tiny wave, he can hear Scott and Isaac chanting his name unnecessarily loudly and his face gets a little red. Laura winks at him and points to the bench, he gives her a little glare but does what she says. She points to her wrist and oh my god, does she know about his countdown?

**0000d 00h 01m 02s**

He’s officially freaking out. He knows Laura knows. There are tons of people here and none of them look nervous. He can’t see any of the trainers because Laura put him on a bench with rocks in front of it. The audience can see him but none of the trainers can. He has a feeling Laura did that on purpose.

**0000d 00h 00m 45s**

                He’s really trying hard not to stare at his wrist, but the only other alternative is to look around frantically for his soul mate and he would rather not look like an idiot thank you very much.

**0000d 00h 00m 37s**

                He always imagined meeting his soul mate would take forever; that time would slow down and he would see them walking towards him, he would know without a doubt who it was. It might have been someone he’s seen before but never talked to, or it might be a complete stranger that he never would have guessed. He didn’t imagine it in front of about a hundred people, maybe two-hundred, at a Dolphin show.

**0000d 00h 00m 21s**

“Now I’m going to send one of my trainers over to get our audience member Stiles to perform some tricks for us! How does that sound?” Laura is weirdly peppy and Stiles is shaking so hard he’s probably just a blur to the crowd. He licks his lips and look for his friends in the crowd. He can see Scott giving him two thumbs up and he laughs a little to himself.

**0000d 00h 00m 12s**

                His heart is beating probably way too fast and his mouth kind of feels like cotton. He wipes his sweaty palms on too tight pants and checks his watch again

**0000d 00h 00m 07s**

                How embarrassing would it be to throw up right now? Probably really considering his soul mate would see it.

**0000s 00h 00m 05s**

                He hears footsteps from behind him and… woah, this sucker is going to be stuck with him for life.

**0000d 00h 00m 04s**

                Should he have gotten, like, a gift basket or something?

**0000d 00h 00m 03s**

                He turns around right into a killer body in a wetsuit. He can feel strong hands on him, one on his shoulder, the other wrapped around his wrist.

**0000d 00h 00m 02s**

                His eyes flick up so fast it takes a second for them to focus on a pair of beautiful hazel eyes and thick, expressive eyebrows

**0000d 00h 00m 01s**

                The palm of his hand is facing the ceiling and his clock is right next to another that’s counting down with his.

**0000d 00h 00m 00s**

                Their clocks light up.

“ _Stiles_ ”

                _“Derek?”_

It’s all done simultaneously and Stiles can feel the grin on his face become enormous, Derek mirrors him.

“Can I get a round of applause for the love birds?!” Stiles can hear the audience clap loudly and his own friends yelling even louder. Closer to him he hears Erica yelling “Get some!” and even Boyd is clapping and laughing.

“Now get a move on you two, we do have a show to do!” Laura laughs loudly and Stiles catches her eye as she winks at him, he hears a small snort come from Derek.

“Figures.” His voice isn’t as husky as Stiles thought it would be, instead it’s smooth, and Stiles really wants to hear it moaning his name or saying something small like “I do.”

He feels a large hand slip into his. It’s wet and warm and wonderful, and Stiles knows his mouth is gaping a little, and since when was Derek a trainer?

“C’mon.” He hears it whispered softly to him and Stiles is nodding his head.

He has a feeling he would follow this man anywhere.  

**Author's Note:**

> Wow. So I don't write very often and this DEFINITELY isn't my best... but I really needed to put it somewhere. Hope you enjoyed and whatnot. I got the idea for this off of a post that was going around tumblr and decided to write about it with Teen Wolf characters. I was thinking so much about the post and I just had to write about the limitations of the clock and what the "rules" of it would be. Then it turned into this.


End file.
